Spring tooth and clip assembly



V 5, 1944. F. R. MARTEN SPRING TOOTH AND CLIP ASSEMBLY Original FiledDec. 19, 1941 INVENTOR. FLOYD H. MART/N AT'rdRNEYs.

Patented Dec. 5, 1944 2,364,303 SPRING roorn AND CLIP ASSEMBLY Floyd R.Martin, East Moline, Ill., assignor to Deere & Company, Moline, 111., acorporationof Illinois Original application December 19, 1941, SerialNo.

1943, Serial No. 481,780

14 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to securing clips and moreparticularly to clips for securing spring tooth members on the endlessconveyor belt of a windrow pickup device. The

principal object of my" invention relates to the 5 provision of asecuring clip which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, but whichefficiently secures a pickup tooth to thebelt and prevents the toothmember from twisting relative to the belt while permitting freespringing of the tines when the latter encounter obstructions duringoperation in the field. A further object of my invention relates to theprovisionof a clip and spring tooth assembly which combine to provide aneflicient pickup unit for a belt type pickup device.

This application is a division of an application Serial No. 423,648filed December 19, 1941, by Louis A. Paradise, James V. Irwin, and FloydR. Martin now Patent No'. 2,347,926, granted May 2, 1944.

These and other objects in advantages of my invention will be apparentto those skilled in the art after a consideration of the followingdescription, in which reference is had to the drawing appended hereto,in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a fragment of an endless conveyorbelt, on which is secured a spring tooth and clip assembly embodying thedetails of the present invention;

Figure 2, is a side elevational view of the as: s'embly; and

Figure 3 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line 3-3 inFigure 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale.

Referring now to the drawing, the pickup device is represented by afragment of flexible conveyor belting, indicated by reference numeral 5,preferably a rubberized fabric although other material can be employed,as is well known to those skilled in the art. Secured to the belt 5, isa spring tooth member indicated generally by reference numeral 6, itbeing understood that the belt is provided with a plurality of rows ofthese tooth members, as described in detail in the above mentionedco-pending application.

The tooth member 6 comprises a spring wire in the form of a pair ofspaced coaxial coils l, 8, interconnected by a U-shaped loop 9, andhaving a pair of tines H], II, extending from the outer ends of thecoils, in the same direction as the loop 9, but spaced above the latterby virtue of the fact that the tines are tangent to the coils at pointssubstantially diametrically opposite from the ends of theloop 9. Thusthetines l0 and .II are normally generally parallel with'the Divided andthis application April '3,

surface of the belt 5 but bend slightly outwardly therefrom.

The tooth member is attached to the .belt by means of a securing clipindicated generally by reference numeral 15, which comprises a centralrecessed portion 16 adapted to lie against the belt 5 and having anaperture ll adapted to receive a securing bolt l8, which passes throughan aligned hole IS in the belt 5 and also through an opening 20 in atransverse channel shaped slat member 2|, disposed beneath the belt 5 asdescribed in detail in the above-identified co-pend ing application.This slat 2| is not an essential part of the present invention, for thespring tooth and clip assembly shown and described herein can be usedwithout the slat 2!, secured to the belt alone, as described in detailin Patent 2,253,- 797, granted August 26, 1941, to Melroe.

The belt 5 is secured between the clip 15 and the channel shaped slat 2|by means of a nut 22 on the bolt l8, the nut being locked by a lockwasher 23.

The clip I5 is provided with a pair of laterally extending wing portions25, 26, extending from opposite sides of the central section I6,received by the coils I, 8, respectively, which encircle the wings 25,2B in assembled relation. The coils are placed over the wings byspreading the U- shaped loop 9 apart until the coils can be placed overthe ends of the wings.

One end of the central section 18 is formed in an are about the centerof the bolt aperture [1 and has a downwardly turned flange .28, which isnotched to provide an arcuate row of teeth 29. The teeth are sharpenedto cause them toimbed themselves into the belt 5, when the nut 22 istightened on the bolt I8. These teeth prevent the spring tooth member 6and clip l5 from rotating about the axis of the bolt l 8 duringoperation. The clip is provided with a longitudinally extending body 30opposite the toothed flange 28, which overlies the U-shaped loopfiandhas a pair of downwardly turned flanges 3|, 32, straddling the loop. Thebody portion 30 and wings 25, 26 are offset outwardly from the centralsection l6 to provide space between the body 30 and the belt 5 for theloop 9. The flanges 3| and 32 bear upon the surface of the belt andserve to space the body portion 30 of the clip with a slight clearanceabove the loop 9, to permit a small amount of vertical movement of theloop during operation.

It will be evident that the spring tooth member 6 is loosely secured tothe belt, but is effectively prevented from being dislodged from theclip by means of the flanges 3| and 32, which secure the, loop againstspreading after the bolt is tightened. In operation, the belt and toothmove in the direction of the arrow indicated at A, with the tines In, Hin a trailing relation. The tines are adapted to brush the ground asthey pass around the front roller of the pickup device, at which timethe tines yield toward the belt, thereby stressing the spring coils 25and 26, the reaction of which is transmitted by the loop 9 to thesurface of the belt. When the teeth leave the ground, they springoutwardly once more and the inertia due to this movement lifts the loop9 away from the surface, but the body portion 30 limits the amount ofthe upward swinging movement of the loop 9 about th axis of the coils 25and 26. The small amount of play between the loop 9 and the body portion30 serves to damp the oscillations of the tines I and II as the latterare released from ground engaging relation.

I do not intend my invention to be limited to the exact details shownand described herein, except as set forth in the following claims.

, I claim:

1. For use in a windrow pick-up device comprising an endless conveyorand a spring tooth member having a pair of spaced coaxial coils andtangentially extendingtines, a securing clip forsaid tooth membercomprising a metal piece having a central apertured section adapted toreceive a bolt for attaching said clip to said conveyor, a pair oflaterally extending wings on opposite sides of said central sectionadapted to be received by said coils, respectively, and a longitudinallyextending body portion between said wings.

2. For use in a windrow pick-up device comprising an endless conveyorand a spring tooth member having a pair of spaced coaxial coils andtangentially extending tines, a securing clip for said tooth membercomprising a metal piece having a central apertured section adapted toreceive a bolt for attaching said clip to said conveyor, a pair oflaterally extending wings on opposite sides of said central sectionadapted to be received by said coils, respectively, and a longitudinallyextending body portion having a downwardly turned spacing flangeadjacent the end opposite said apertured section and adapted to bearupon said conveyor.

3. For use in a windrow pick-up device comprising a flexible belt and aspring tooth member having a pair of spaced coaxial coils connected by aloop and tangentially extending tines, a securing clip for said toothmember comprising a central apertured section adapted to receive a boltfor attaching said tooth member to said belt, a pair of laterallyextending wings on opposite sides of said central section adapted to bereceived by said coils, respectively, a longitudinally extending bodyadapted to engage a portion of said loop to prevent the tooth memberfrom swinging upwardly, and a downwardly turned toothed flange at oneend of said central section adapted to engage said belt.

4. In combination, a spring tooth member of the class describedcomprising a spring wire in the form of a pair of spaced coaxial coilsconnected by a U-shaped loop, and a pair of tines on the outer ends ofsaid coils extending tangentially thereto over said loop, and a securingclip for said tooth member comprising a central apertured sectionadapted to receive a bolt for attaching said tooth member to a belt, apair of laterally extending wings on opposite sides of said centralsection adapted to be received by said coils, respectively, and alongitudinally extending body portion lying over a portion of said loopto prevent said tooth member from swinging upwardly about the axis ofsaid coils.

5. In combination, a spring tooth member of the class describedcomprising a spring wire in the form of a pair of spaced coaxial coilsconnected by a U-shaped loop, and a pair of tines on the outer ends ofsaid coils extending tangentially thereto over said loop, and a securingclip for said tooth member comprising a central apertured sectionadapted to receive a bolt for attaching said tooth member to a belt, apair of laterally extending wings on opposite sides of said centralsection adapted to be received by said coils, respectively, and alongitudinally extending body portion lying over a portion of said loop,said body portion having a pair of downwardly turned flanges straddlingsaid loop and adapted to bear upon the supporting belt.

6. In combination, a spring tooth member of the class describedcomprising a spring wire in the form of a pair of spaced coaxial coilsconnected by a U-shaped loop, and a pair of tines on the outer ends ofsaid coils extending tangentially thereto over said loop, and a securingclip for said tooth member comprising a central apertured sectionadapted to receive a bolt for attaching said tooth member to a belt, apair of laterally extending wings on opposite sides of said centralsection adapted to be received by said coils, respectively, alongitudinally extending body portion lying over a portion of said loopand holding the tooth member against swinging upwardly, and a downwardlyturned toothed flange at one end of said central portion for preventingrotation thereof about said bolt.

7. For use in a windrow pick-up device comprising an endless conveyorand a spring tooth member having a pair of spaced coaxial coils andtangentially extending tines, a securing clip for said tooth membercomprising a metal piece having a central apertured section adapted toreceive a bolt forattaching said clip to said conveyor, a pair oflaterally extending wings on opposite sides of said central sectionadapted to be received by said coils, respectively, a downwardly turnedtoothed flange along one edge of said central section between said wingsadapted to engage the conveyor, and a longitudinally extending bodyportion on the opposite side of said central section having a downwardlyturned spacing flange adjacent the outer end thereof adapted to bearupon the conveyor.

8. For use in a windrow pick-up device comprising an endless conveyorand a spring tooth member having a pair of spaced coaxial coils andtangentially extending tines, a securing clip for said tooth membercomprising a metal piece having a central apertured section adapted toreceive a bolt for attaching said clip to said conveyor, a pair oflaterally extending wings on opposite sides of said central sectionadapted to be received by said coils, respectively, and flanged portionson opposite sides of said central section between'said wings, theflanges on said portions being turned downwardly to bear upon saidconveyor.

9. The combination set forth in claim 8 including the further provisionof teeth on certain of said downwardly turned flanges adapted to engagethe conveyor to prevent rotation of said clip about the axis of theattaching bolt.

10. In combination, a spring tooth member of the class describedcomprising a spring wire in the form of a pair of spaced coaxial coilsconnected by a U'-shaped loop, and a pair of tines on the outer ends ofsaid coils extending tangentially thereto over said loop, and a securingclip for said tooth member comprising a central apertured sectionadapted to receive a bolt for attaching said tooth member to a belt, apair of' laterally extending wings on opposite sides of said centralsection adapted to be received by i said coils, respectively, and adownwardly turned toothed flange on said central section between saidwing adapted to engage the belt to prevent angular displacement of saidclip about the axis of the attaching bolt.

11. In combination, a spring tooth member of the class describedcomprising a spring wire in the form of a pair of spaced coaxial coilsconnected by a U-shaped loop, and a pair of tines on the outer ends ofsaid coils extending tangentially thereto over said loop, and a securingclip for said tooth member comprising a central apertured sectionadapted to receive a bolt for attaching said tooth member to'a belt, apair of laterally.

gular displacement of said clip about the axis of the attaching bolt.

12. For use in a windrow pick-up device comprising an endless conveyorand a spring tooth member having a pair of spaced coaxial coils andtangentially extending tines, a securing clip for said tooth membercomprising a metal piece having a central apertured section adapted tolie flat against the conveyor and to receive a bolt for attaching saidclip to said conveyor, a pair of laterally extending wings on oppositesides of said central section adapted to be received by said coils,respectively, and a longitudinally extending body portion having adownwardly turned spacing flange adjacent the end opposite saidapertured section and adapted to bear upon said conveyor, said wings andbody portion being offset outwardly from said belt and said centralsection.

13. In combination, a spring tooth member of the class describedcomprising a spring wire in the form of a pair of spaced coaxial coilsconnected by a U-shaped loop, and a pair of tines on the outer ends ofsaid coils extending tangentially thereto over said loop, and a securingclip for said tooth member comprising a central apertured sectionadapted to receive a bolt for attaching said tooth member to a belt withsaid central section secured rigidly against the belt, a pair oflaterally extending Wings on opposite sides of said central sectionadapted to be received by said coils, respectively, a longitudinallyextending body portion lying over a portion of said loop and holding thetooth member against swinging upwardly, and a downwardly turned toothedflange at one end of said central portion for preventing rotationthereof about said bolt, said central section being ofiset below saidwings and body portion to space the latter away from the belt surface toprovide a limited amount of movement of said loop between said bodyportion and the belt.

14. In combination, a spring tooth member of the class describedcomprising a spring wire in the form of a pair of spaced coaxial coilsconnected by a U-shaped loop, and a pair of tines on the outer ends ofsaid coils extending tangentially thereto over said loop, and a securingclip for said tooth member comprising a central apertured sectionadapted to receive a bolt for attaching said tooth member to a belt withsaid central section secured rigidly against the belt surface, a pair oflaterally extending wings on opposite sides of said central sectionadapted to be received by said coils, respectively, a longitudinallyextending body portion lying over a portion of said loop and holding thetooth memon said central section opposite said body portion adapted toengage the belt to prevent angular displacement of said clip about theaxis of the attaching bolt.

FLOYD R. MARTIN.

